


Planetside

by not_a_baby_unicorn



Category: Star Trek
Genre: (but Spock has an excuse for that), Friends to Lovers, Gen, Jim has nightmares and some unresolved issues with his past, M/M, Mutual Pining, References to space chess lmao, Shared Quarters, They're kinda bad at emotions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-22 15:43:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11970498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/not_a_baby_unicorn/pseuds/not_a_baby_unicorn
Summary: “Are you crazy?” Bones shook in his chair, and for a second Jim wasn’t quite sure what he was about to do. Luckily, Leonard McCoy just reached for his bourbon with a trembling hand.“Quite possibly. Why do you ask?”“Because-” Bones took a swig and glared at Jim “-you just told me that you think you’re in love.”“What’s so crazy about that?” Jim felt his face growing hot. Bones had been his confidante for years, long before he even befriended Spock. If he wanted advice or conversation or company, he would turn to his first officer. But those times he needed empathy, to talk shit and drink- Leonard was more than willing to set aside some time for his dysfunctional captain.This time, it seemed, Bones was less sympathetic to his cause.





	Planetside

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So I've been out of the fanfic loop for about two years, treat me kindly :) this is a work in progress and I don't know where it's heading for now, comment some ideas for where you'd like me to take it! I'd love to include an overarching plot as well as the obligatory spirk we're all here for.... any and all suggestions welcome!

 Captain James T. Kirk woke with a start. As unforgiving as double shifts could be, even the fatigue felt afterwards could not save him from nightmares- and the following fitful break from them. He sat up on his bed and sighed heavily, peeling the tangled covers from his legs.  Jim pressed his palm to his forehead, recollecting the images that threatened to melt into shadows; those could haunt him for days, consuming his thoughts and making his actions _that_ much more irate and irrational.

He was sure he had been dreaming of a forest: Yosemite, although he couldn’t be certain, the absence of _El Capitan_ a puzzling detail. The forest had been covered in snow and a sort of hazy fog that seemed to prophesize dawn. Sure enough, dawn came and bathed Jim’s dream-self in a cold, golden light, countless fir trees bristling with bright sparks of ice…

A movement at the door pulled him out of his thoughts. It was Spock, who most likely had (correctly, Jim thought with a sigh) predicted that the captain would not be sleeping for long.

“Captain.”

Jim smiled weakly. “What brings you here? I thought you’d be resting in your quarters by now. There’s been nothing to report since I got off shift.”

“That is true.” The Vulcan paused, eyes skimming the room with ulterior motive. He paused for a moment, analysing a plant with a strong resemblance to a cactus. Jim pointed at it from where he was on the bed.

“Mr Sulu gave it to Bones after our last shore leave. Said it was supposed to bring luck. That’s the impression the locals had left him with, anyway.” Kirk explained, pointing at the succulent. He shrugged. “I don’t feel lucky, but it’s very nice.”

“And Dr McCoy gave it to you?”

“More like left it on my shelf and pretended it wasn’t him. Don’t tell our helmsman.”

Spock’s eyebrows lifted in amusement. It wasn’t unlike Sulu to give botanical souvenirs to the crew, but Jim was always reluctant to accept; he claimed he would just kill the poor thing by accident. The fact that the plant stood on his shelf and seemed _looked-after_ was something short of a miracle.

“Yeah.” Jim stood from his bed, stretching his arms above his head. “Not lucky at all.”

He decided not to elaborate, his nightmare slipping out of the grasp of memory. Spock remained dutifully silent, circling the room with a schooled expression of indifference. He turned towards Jim and paused, waiting for the human to stand up before he began to speak.

“I thought you might be amiable to a game of chess, seeing that our next shift starts in two point six hours.”

“Let me get dressed first, alright?” Jim leaned down to pick up his commander golds, which were lying on the floor next to his leg. He tugged the shirt over his head. Spock watched him calmly.

“Of course, captain.”

Kirk smiled weakly, which ended up turning into more of a half-grimace. “It’s Jim. We’re off-duty.”

“Jim.” Spock repeated after him.  If Jim had a credit for every time he had corrected Spock when it came to formal and informal terms, he would have enough to buy a small planet in the outer regions. Nevertheless, Spock always reverted to his standard exclamation of ‘captain’, and the human suspected that he secretly enjoyed teasing him like this. He smiled and reached for his shoe, impatiently flung under the bed after a long shift. Spock looked on, mild amusement shining through the cracks in his now-crumbling expression of calm. He would never leave his uniform in such a state, and Kirk knew it.

“Yeah, alright, I’m nearly done. No need to hurry me.”

“I am not rushing you. Have I said anything of the sort?”

“You’re looming again. I can literally feel you urging me to get my clothes on.”

“I must remind you that I am a touch-telepath, captain, and therefore cannot be urging you on from across the room.”

“Why would you?” Jim smirked, flexing. “I am _glorious_.”

“I would add modesty to the ever-growing list of your virtues, but it is common knowledge that Vulcans cannot lie.”

“You’re _real_ funny.”  Kirk smirked. “Why are we friends again?”

“About 57 major reasons, not mentioning an expanded list of minor. I counted.”

“I’m flattered, truly am.”

Jim meant to sound playful, but the truthfulness behind those words was obvious. He winked at his first officer. Spock moved towards him, eyebrows raised at Jim’s efforts at folding sheets. The Vulcan noted with some degree of amusement that Jim was trying to make his quarters appear less dishevelled than they usually would be found; he knew from years of friendship that bed-making was not compulsory in the daily routine of Jim Kirk. 

“Jim?” It wasn’t a question, more of an invitation for the two men to share each other’s company. Spock was always good at giving words a completely different meaning.

“Yeah. I’m ready to leave. Do you think we still have some coffee beans from our last rendezvous? Some things can’t be copied by machines, and either way I’m convinced Scotty fiddled with the settings- “

“-to add liquor flavouring to all hot beverages. I have heard.”

“Oh, so it is common knowledge? And here I was thinking I had the latest… gossip.” Jim stretched in an ostentatious manner, revealing a tanned midriff, and smiled to himself. Although his face stayed as stoic and controlled as ever, Spock followed Kirk’s body with his eyes. It was almost thrilling, in a way. Jim certainly enjoyed this type of interaction, and he was used to people sneaking the odd innocent ogle.

But his first officer. Who had just watched him get dressed. Who felt as much at ease in Jim’s quarters as his own. For whom Jim had hacked the thermometer in his quarters so that his bedroom was slightly warmer than he preferred, but comforting to Spock. This was a different sort of thrill; this was the sort of thrill which settles in the warmest crevices of your chest; the sort which has roots that dig deep and bury themselves in your psyche. A thrill that can last a lifetime.

That was the first time James Tiberius Kirk realised that he was falling for his best friend.

 

 

“Are you _crazy_?” Bones shook in his chair, and for a second Jim wasn’t quite sure what he was about to do. Luckily, Leonard McCoy just reached for his bourbon with a trembling hand. He plucked it off the table with ease, casting a guilty glance to the succulent on Jim’s bedside shelf.

“Quite possibly. Why do you ask?”

“Because-” Bones took a swig and glared at Jim “-you just told me that you think you’re in love.”

“What’s so crazy about that?” Jim felt his face growing hot. Bones had been his confidante for years, long before he even befriended Spock. If he wanted advice or conversation or company, he would turn to his first officer. But those times he needed empathy, to talk shit and drink- Leonard was more than willing to set aside some time for his dysfunctional captain.

This time, it seemed, Bones was less sympathetic to his cause.

“You’re a starship captain, Jim. You can’t exactly expect someone to wait planetside for years, and it wouldn’t be fair on you either.” Bones reached out to squeeze Jim’s shoulder and was met with a sigh.

“Bones… what if they’re a crewmember?”

Dr McCoy’s eyebrows flew up. “A CREWMEMBER?! As in starship Enterprise crew?”

“Yeah. As in Enterprise crew.”

“Who is it, Casanova?” Bones playfully elbowed Jim in the side, but the captain could clearly see the worry etched into his friend’s face.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Jim sounded a little too bitter for his taste, but that was just the alcohol talking.

“Well… out of the entire crew you spend the most time with us senior staff. And out of that, you spend the most time with either me or Spock. I don’t think you’re madly in love with me-I’m charmed, but I know you too well to think that’s the case…”

He squinted at Jim and tipped his glass, emptying the last droplets into his mouth

“Bones.”

Bones sighed heavily, staring evenly into Jim’s eyes.

“Honestly? I think I kind of knew ever since y’all started that ‘I’ll sacrifice my life for yours’ bullshit. All I can say as your friend is good luck. And as your doctor-” He gave him a meaningful glance, and lowered his voice. “-remember that Vulcans are on average three times as strong as humans.”

Jim turned his attention to his drink and decided that was the end of that conversation. He shifted in the seat next to his friend.

Leonard turned to him again and put an arm around his shoulders. “Hey. So, what’s the plan?”

“What plan? I’m going to have to wait this one out, Bones. Get over him. I can’t put our friendship, trust, and professional relationship at risk over a crush.”

“Now wait a second here, you said you were in love a moment ago- “

“Figure of speech. Drop it.” Jim’s tone burned like razors down his throat, harsh and threatening. Bones raised his eyebrows, looking almost hurt.

“Yeah. Whatever. Sure. I’ll be in medbay if you need me.”

Jim watched him leave with a heavy heart and a head full of swirling thoughts.

**Author's Note:**

> Hit me up @galactichusbands on tumblr :)


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